Westwater Isles
The Westwater Isles lay at the southwest boundary of the known world. They are home to the Njerëzim, as well as a large number of native species. The species named here are drawn from two sources: a) those cataloged by General Kehlmeig's science team, led by Dr. Brennin Gunt, in Kehlmeig's Western Expeditionary Force Report back to High Lord Vrotan Berekan; and b) famed Coalfolk explorer Borriv Bikinov's The Origin of Giant Species, in which he argues that the Westwater Isles are the ancestral homeland of all animal giantism in Canthia. Fauna Bloodwolf While related to the wolves of the Center, the variety native to the Westwater has been mutated by the Schism into a crimson monster the size and strength of a Drexian packmule, with many times the cunning of its smaller cousins. It is most famous for its gluttony: a pack of bloodwolves will feed upon fresh meat until their bloat renders them unable to move. Even in this state, they have been known to kill entire squads of heavy infantry. They are remarkably resilient as well -- their teeth are capable of punching through steel plate, and their hides are tough enough to repel most weapons. General Kehlmeig, in his report back to High Lord Berekan, described a pack as "best dealt with by simply avoiding them. If they smell you -- and they will -- retreat to the airship, fire everything you've got, and pray the bastards can't jump that far." In order to be inducted into the Njerëzimi priesthood, young men are sent out to hunt individual bloodwolves with little more than a pocketknife and a canteen of water. Though wild bloodwolves are untameable, the Njerëzimi have been breeding a smaller, faster variety as mounts for centuries. Giant Moose Similar in general appearance to the forest moose of the Center's northern continents, but at least twice their size, the Giant Moose reaches heights of 4m at the shoulder, with weights in excess of 1500kg. They feed mostly on wolfgrass, consuming at least 245kg a day. Though the primary prey of bloodwolf packs, the Giant Moose is nevertheless a formidable creature, easily capable of crushing or goring to death individual bloodwolves. Possibly in response to the sheer power of the Giant Moose, bloodwolf packs tend to only hunt the youngest and oldest of the herd. Bull Anaconda Found only in the marshes of Grikën, the southernmost isle, bull anaconda regularly reach lengths of 10 meters or more, with weights of up to 220 kg -- though rumors persist of much larger specimens deeper in the swamp. They are capable of swallowing giant moose whole. In water, they can easily outrun most other fleeing creatures. Luckily for the other inhabitants of the Westwater, they are incredibly slow on land. While capable of killing and eating single bloodwolves, those that venture outside the swamp are quickly killed by packs of the same. Fossil records show that the giant snakes, or a close relative, were at one point widespread throughout the Westwater Isles, while the bloodwolf was confined only to the northernmost island of Dahkzi. Temple of the Red Wolf doctrine holds that Belkjan Ujk and his faithful bloodwolf companion Dhëmbëkuri pushed the snakes back into the deepest depths of the Grïken swamps, allowing the bloodwolf to spread to its present-day reach. Flora Razortooth Vine and Cloudbark Tree These two form a symbiotic relationship which makes up the vast majority of the superstructure of Grikën's southern jungle. The Cloudbark is among the largest living things in Canthia, growing to heights in excess of 200m, but with circumferences of only 10m or so. The trees remain vertical despite their thinness for two reasons: one, they have the lowest density per kilogram of any tree yet found, and two, they are supported all the way up their length by vast networks of Razortooth vine. The Grikën jungle is formed in layers. Each layer is formed by Razorvine, grown together over hundreds of years into semi-stable 'floors' which support varying degrees and types of life. The bottom levels are pitch-black, and any creatures which fall in are quickly devoured by the Bull Anaconda which hunt there. At higher levels, new Cloudbark trees sometimes take root in the Ravorvine floor--when they become too large, however, they often come crashing down, tearing huge holes in the jungle which take many years to grow over. For this reason, the upper floors of the canopy are riddled with weak spots through which prey of all sorts can fall to the more dangerous levels below. Wolfgrass The ubiquitous grass of the Isles' plains, Wolfgrass grows roughly 2m tall--just high enough for a man to peek over it, and just high enough to hide a bloodwolf. Wolfgrass has an amazing property--while normally easy to wade through and push aside, if agitated enough it becomes incredibly brittle, with a tendency to snap into razor-sharp fragments which can easily pierce flesh. Bikinov writes in his journal: "Observing from a nearby hilltop, I watched a troop of Njerëzimi hunters pick their way through the bush and slowly surround a giant moose--very slowly. I wondered why they moved so lethargically--at that distance, the moose was certainly already aware of their presence. I was soon informed when the first of the men threw his spear. The enraged creature charged one side of the circle, and with his fast movement, the wolfgrass underwent a strange change. In expanding waves of several meters across, issuing from the point of the moose's charge, it began to shimmer, like glass. As he charged, this 'glass grass' broke into slivers which stuck in his hide. Immediately, the creature went from a massive, incredibly powerful, angry monster to a massive, incredibly power, angry, ''glass-spiked ''monster. An ingenious example of symbiosis in this strange land. A few of the men were sliced open in most frightful ways, but they managed to subdue the beast in the end. As they brought the corpse out of the bush, I noticed they very carefully removed the fragments, I imagine for use in their frightful weaponry." Category:Content Category:Lore Category:Nations